DHL Stormers shuffle pack for Reds

There are three changes to the DHL Stormers forward pack for the Vodacom Super Rugby encounter with the Reds at DHL Newlands on Saturday.

Following their victory against the Blues last week, the DHL Stormers will be looking for their third win of the season at home, when they face the Queensland side at 17h15 on Saturday.

There is just one change to the starting backline that did duty against the Blues, with Craig Barry at fullback in place of Dillyn Leyds who has been ruled out with a calf injury. Justin Phillips and George Whitehead provide halfback cover on the replacements bench.

In the loose trio Cobus Wiese is back at blindside flank, which means that Pieter-Steph du Toit shifts across to lock with Chris van Zyl among the replacements.

In the front row JC Janse van Rensburg will start at loosehead prop in a rotational switch wiith Steven Kitshoff. Tighthead prop Carlu Sadie and loose forwards Kobus van Dyk and Sikhumbuzo Notshe are also back in the matchday squad after being ruled out last week due to illness.

DHL Stormers Head Coach Robbie Fleck said that his team have their sights on making another step-up in their performance levels this weekend.

“It was great to get back to winning ways at DHL Newlands last week, but we are certainly not taking anything for granted.

“We want to go out there and improve in a number of areas, to maintain the positive trajectory we are on,” he said.

DHL Stormers: 15 Craig Barry, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Damian De Allende, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Ramone Samuels, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Dean Muir, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Kobus van Dyk, 21 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 22 Justin Phillips, 23 George Whitehead.